Take hundreds of photos in the hopes of one that is everything you want it to be. Learn along the way, each imperfect shot is an opportunity to learn and grow.
Appreciation:
While this is the second time I’ve been to Iceland in the wintertime this has been my first true Icelandic winter experience. We’ve formally been indoctrinated through frigid temps, ridiculously high winds, and so much snow. Two years ago I was here for the most mild winter they’d ever had, but this has been a completely different experience – and largely for the better!
The snow and ice have added so many layers of beauty to this already stellar landscape. So many contours are much more vibrant now, there’s an increased texture of the mountains and the ice atop the rivers and stream is so intricate and ornate.
To have the opportunity to express this magical landscape in this season has been beautiful beyond my wildest dreams.
Take advantage of the moments and opportunities presented to us, you never know how many more of them you will have.
This manifest itself as hopping out of bed while blogging to check to see if the Northern Lights were picking back up again. Why not trade a little sleep for something I might never have the opportunity to experience again, especially in Iceland!
As luck would have it, my gut instinct paid off!
Appreciation:
Whew! So many beautiful sights and experiences today, so thankful for the opportunity to share them with Becky! Travel and hiking are our jam, always s pleasure to enjoy them both with each other.
Presence:
Never gets old…. Especially when viewed from a hot tub in winter in Iceland!
Life happens, the sooner we choose the mind the gap and intentionally focus on growth, appreciation, and presence the sooner we will be joyful again. Why stress something completely out of our control? Instead focus on controlling what we can – how we will respond.
Appreciation:
This is the first time to Iceland when I have not been the driver of our car and I am LOVING it!!! Of course it’s usually more fun to be a passenger, but I’m really noticing how much more focus I can put towards seeing what’s all around this majestic landscape rather than on the road in front of me. My eyes were constantly shifting from one crazy rock feature to the next. So many pictures taken!
I’m also especially grateful as the roads were awful today due to a storm that had rolled in late last night. Steve did an incredible job of keeping our vehicle between the shoulders when even snowplows were struggling to do so!
Presence:
Being able to pause and focus on the landscape around me also provided the opportunity to take so many photos today! Watching for the right moment, snapping as many pics as possible quickly, and then editing and discerning the hundreds into tens while going through less scenic areas was so enjoyable!
How little we actually need to know true joy. How much of life is wasted on thinking more is needed or on fear of losing what we have. Everything we each need for a joyful life is already within us and it cannot be taken away by anyone.
Appreciation:
What is it about certain places and types of moments which help us unlock more of our true selves? When we’re in our normal routine it becomes easy to just do more of the same and follow through momentum of the “same old”.
When placed in a completely new scenario intentionality kicks into overdrive. We’re more focused, more present, and are not held by the same fetters as normal. We break free from the gravity of the mundane and jettison ourselves with purpose.
This trip has been an incredibly well timed opportunity to step back, zoom out, and reassess.
Presence:
Sitting on a ledge overlooking a glacier, a few mountains, and the ocean. Priceless!
Man overcomes himself, affirms himself, and realizes himself in the struggle towards the summit, toward the absolute. In the extreme tension of the struggle, on the frontier of death, the universe disappears and drops away beneath us. Space, time, fear, suffering, no longer exist. Everything then becomes quite simple. As on the crest of a wave, or in the heart of a cyclone, we are strangely calm —not the calm of emptiness, but the heart of action itself. Then we know with absolute certainty that there is something indestructible in us, against which nothing shall prevail.
A flame so kindled can never be extinguished. When we have lost everything it is then we find ourselves most rich.
Maurice Herzog
Appreciation:
Iceland has become a part of my being. My travels to the land of fire and ice have fueled my imagination in unprecedented ways while also creating lifelong memories shared with friends and family. Being here a third time is rejuvenating, my soul is at ease and so comfortably at home. So grateful for the opportunity to be here again, I will appreciate every single moment of it!
Presence:
Within hours of arriving in Iceland we saw the eruption! The pics don’t do justice to just how incredible it was to see lava spurting from the Earth!
I am not required to have an opinion. My opinion is 100% optional. I can choose to have an opinion or I can choose to not concern myself with it.
Choose to withhold an opinion at least three times more often than having one, life will be easier, more joyful, and will contain significantly less stress.
Appreciation:
Almost fifty years of life, so many memories that they come crashing in waves. Largely joyful, even the difficult ones provide opportunities for growth and learning. Maybe even they are the milestones markers of past growth.
Throughout the past few days so many memories have gone through my mind. Times as a child, a teenager, a college student, an adult, a parent, and so many other roles and ages in between. I can’t help but smile at how many wonder human beings I’ve been blessed to interact with throughout those years. They’ve all left fingerprints upon my being. Each made their mark in their own special way, I am who I am as a result of their impact. As a rock in a river they have passed by and indelibly made they mark on me.
How fortunate am I to have had such a kaleidoscope of humans touch my life!
Presence:
The moment of seeing a sales deal worked from start to finish has dry ink on it!
Re-reading Good to Great by Jim Collins has been exactly what my brain needed at exactly the right time. While this was the fourth or fifth time I’ve read the book this time sunk in more than the others. For better and for worse the experiences of my past decade or so of work have really helped to re-shape my understanding of the concepts shared. As I continue to grow forward I’m glad to have this information fresh in my brain!
Appreciation:
This has been a whirlwind of a month! So many changes, so many changes, and so much flexibility needed. It’s also been a month of extreme clarity, focus, and rekindling passion to live into a noble purpose. I am catching myself needing more and more downtime to allow my brain to slow down, yet I am working harder and harder while feeling a greater sense of purpose. An exhausting month in so many ways, a challenging month in even more ways, yet a month I will never forget for its clarity of driving towards the purpose.
Presence:
We had a nice surprise this evening! Dominic was able to leave school a early so we were able to spend some time together this evening. Nothing like getting bonus time with him – even if it is only a couple of hours it is one of the highlights of my entire week!
How much more do I have than what I need? How much do I want which I truly do not need? How little do I actually need to find joy in life? When do I find myself unhappy due to the lack of something I truly don’t need?
As I am reminded of so many times, there is very little needed to find joy in life, to create a fulfilling life. From my experience I would assume that it only requires intentionality, presence, and gratitude – everything else will take care of itself.
When I find a sadness, an emptiness in my heart, I should remember these lyrics and look inward to see if it is a lack of something that it causing the hurt. If the pain is a longing for what I don’t have I must remember to intentionally choose to be happy without it, to be in the moment, and to choose a mindset of appreciation for what I do have. We cannot be sad and grateful at the same time, choose appreciation.
Oh, it’s a mystery to me We have a greed, with which we have agreed And you think you have to want more than you need Until you have it all you won’t be free
Society, you’re a crazy breed I hope you’re not lonely without me
When you want more than you have You think you need And when you think more than you want Your thoughts begin to bleed I think I need to find a bigger place ‘Cause when you have more than you think You need more space
Society, you’re a crazy breed I hope you’re not lonely without me Society, crazy indeed I hope you’re not lonely without me
There’s those thinking, more or less, less is more But if less is more, how you keeping score? Means for every point you make, your level drops Kinda like you’re starting from the top You can’t do that
Society, you’re a crazy breed I hope you’re not lonely without me Society, crazy indeed I hope you’re not lonely without me
Society, have mercy on me I hope you’re not angry if I disagree Society, crazy indeed I hope you’re not lonely Without me
How rarely I pause my mind long enough to notice the bits of beauty hidden in plain sight all around me. This evening in yoga I was in a figure four and my mind was calmed enough to watch the flickering of the candles reflected off the ductwork in the ceiling. There was no pattern to the movement, it flowed and bounced, and it was a perfect focus for my attention in the present.
I was reminded of one the favorite hours of my life in the outdoors. While backpacking I sat in the sun on a rock in the middle of a stream. As I sat still my brain focused on all the magic around me. A giant dragonfly flew in and proceeded to zip around. When I focused closely enough I could see the mosquitoes it was eating as it moved from spot to spot. Without realizing it I spent an entire hour sitting still in that stream enthralled by the spectacle of nature which is always there, but I rarely take the time to observe.
Beauty, true beauty, can be found in any moment so long as we pause and watch for it.
Technology can really help us build connections when used correctly. Today we were able to FaceTime with each of the boys, yesterday we did the same with all four of us at the same time, even though we’re in different states and continents currently! Gavin was able to share pictures and jokes via our favorite social media messenger app. Throughout the day Dominic, Gavin, and I shared music we each enjoyed. Gavin sent all of us pics of all the sights he has seen in Germany. Becky and I used technology the right way for us while hiking, we shut it off completely and enjoyed conversation without electronics. When used the right way (and turned off often), what a gift technology is!
Appreciation:
This afternoon I was removing some old boards form our deck. It was build by Dad and I about twenty years ago and one of my projects for next year is to build a new deck. As I started taking it apart this afternoon I couldn’t help but think back often to the time I spent with Dad building it in the first place. I initially felt a little sad about taking apart something we’d built together, but I quickly realized that what we built together many years ago was not what I was taking apart now. This was only the deck, old beaten up and weathered boards. What we’d built back then were poignant memories of working together, of enjoying each other’s company, and of spending time with each other. The boards may be removed, but the memories not be erased.
So many moments of learning to work together as we built that deck! We learned about how much wood we could actually load into his pickup. We then found out that there was a weird policy at the store we bought it from and one of us had to stay with half the load while the other delivered the first load, unloaded it at the house, and then drove back. I personally learned why it is not a good idea to pull out too rapidly with a truck bed full of decking materials. Dad learned how much he would have appreciated having a cell phone to figure out what was taking me so long to come back for the second load as I was re-loading the lumber into the truck from off the pavement in a somewhat busy road. As you can imagine, as we traded stories afterwards we laughed and laughed! What wonderful memories the entire project was!
The things we build with our hands will eventually age and turn into dust and ash. The time we spend with loved ones making memories will burn in our souls forever.
Presence:
I kind of feel like this is becoming a bit of a broken record, but getting outside and hiking the trails with Becky to start off the day is pretty epic! Nothing quite like the fresh air and exercise while enjoying the views from the bluffs. Certainly my happy place, the trails. A couple of specific moments really stuck out. Standing atop Miller’s Bluff and taking in the view of the city below and river, woods, and bluff surrounding. Catching a spectacular fall scent form the leaves, almost a spicy old cigar box kind of smell (you gotta trust me, it is a wonderful aroma!). Throw in focused time with Becky and I talking as we hike and I couldn’t ask for much more than that!
Some of the most rewarding days are the ones in which I keep busy from start to finish with little pockets of relaxation in between. Today was a wonderful balance of 75% busy to 25% chill.
Appreciation:
With that that was knocked off the task list already today I’m feeling very positive for tomorrow. What’s been all the better are the pockets of time spent with Becky! We’ve often been going in very different directions, but there were also many ones in which we were shooting the bull, joking around, or enjoying each other’s company. There was much gratitude from each to the other which also seemed to make it easier to keep working diligently on our tasks. Beyond grateful for a partner I positively enjoy spending time with AND puts up with me in all of my idiosyncratic glory! 😉
Presence:
Nothing quite like living vicariously through our boys! Spending time with them on FaceTime and texting was amazing today!
Gavin shared all the fun he’s been having in his first couple of days in Germany. Dominic was all about the Gophers football game and his seat in the second row. Both having the times of their lives, smiling, laughing, and experiencing life in the present moment.
